Cal Neva Lodge & Casino
The original building was constructed in 1926 and became famous when the national media picked up a story about actress Clara Bow canceling checks she owed to the Cal-Neva worth $13,000 in 1930 ($237,100 today).In 1960, entertainer Frank Sinatra purchased the resort with several others, including singer Dean Martin and Chicago mobster Sam Giancana.Larry Ellison purchased the property out of bankruptcy in 2018; in 2023 it was sold to McWhinney, a real estate company in Denver, who announced plans to convert it into a hotel.[14] Author Scott Lankford claims that JFK used the lodge to carry on an "endless series of extramarital affairs with wealthy divorcees and Tahoe's notoriously ubiquitous prostitutes".[23][24] Frank Sinatra first visited Cal Neva in 1951; his trip made the national press as he overdosed on sleeping pills and this was reported to the local sheriff.[25] Sinatra continued to frequent the lodge; on one occasion, he played a jam session with big band leader Harry James and actress and singer Betty Grable.[34] Following a request by Robert F. Kennedy, who had concerns over the press coverage of his and his brother's relationships with Marilyn Monroe, Sinatra made accommodation available for her for a weekend before her death on August 4, 1962.[37] The Sinatra period saw extravagant parties and visits by celebrities such as Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Kim Novak, Shirley MacLaine, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and Richard Crenna.[31] Sam Giancana was banned from the casinos in the state of Nevada, but Sinatra continued to allow him to stay at the Cal Neva lodge which resulted in Hank Sanicola seeking to remove himself as a shareholder.[11][n 1] Following this, Sinatra decided he wanted to get out of entertainment property ownership as he was being heavily criticized in the national press and pursued by law enforcement over illegal activities at the casino.[41] After leasing it to Warner for four years, Sinatra sought to sell the property to Howard Hughes in 1967 as part of the renewal of his contract at the Sands Hotel and Casino.[46] The Ohio Real Estate Investment Trust purchased the lodge in 1970 for $6 million,[48] with the aim to lease it to the U.S. Capital Corporation, who in turn sought to sublease it to Tahoe Crystal Bay Inc.[49] The stockholders of the Ohio Real Estate Investment Trust filed a lawsuit against the company in 1973, which resulted in the Cal Neva being placed into federal receivership.[50] After opening year-round since Sinatra purchased the lodge, it closed for the winter season in 1974 due to a drop in visitors blamed on the 1973 oil crisis.[51] The Cal Neva was sold in 1975 alongside the Crystal Bay Club to BKJ Corporation, which consisted of Everett Brunzell, Charles Ketchum, and Norman Jenson.[54] Jon Perroton was arrested in 1985 for fraud after convincing Hibernia National Bank to loan him $23 million towards the purchase price of Cal Neva.[56] On September 10–12, 1993, the lodge hosted the second annual Daow Aga Pow wow (a local Native American meeting) on Lake Tahoe.
Crystal Bay, NevadaLarry EllisonCoordinatesresortcasinoNevadaCaliforniaLake TahoeClara BowFrank SinatraDean MartinSam GiancanahelipadHank SanicolaNevada Gaming Control BoardJack L. WarnerKirk KerkorianblackjackFred B. Balzarpit managerJudy GarlandReno, NevadaXavier CugatKennedy familyJohn F.Robert1960 Winter OlympicsSquaw Valley Ski Resortjam sessionbig bandHarry JamesBetty GrablePaul "Skinny" D'AmatoProhibitionJoseph P. Kennedy Sr.American MafiaJimmy HoffaRobert F. KennedyMarilyn MonroeJoe DiMaggiostomach pumpedLiza MinnelliKim NovakShirley MacLaineSammy Davis Jr.Tony CurtisJanet LeighLucille BallDesi ArnazRichard CrennaHerb CaenPhyllis McGuireReprise RecordsWarner Bros. RecordsHoward HughesSands Hotel and CasinoCaesars PalaceClub Cal Neva1973 oil crisisMetro-Goldwyn-MayerCary GrantHibernia National BankSheraton Hotels and ResortsPow wowNative AmericanEzri NamvarCanyon Capital AdvisorsCrystal BayRat PackWashoe peopleSkiingBad Times at the El RoyaleNevada Gaming CommissionRonald ReaganNewspapers.comLas Vegas ValleyLongstreetBorder InnStagecoachCarson NuggetOrmsby HouseBodinesCasino FandangoGold Dust WestHotel Nevada and Gambling HallBarton's Club 93Cactus Pete'sCasaBlanca ResortEurekaCarson Valley InnCircus CircusEldoradoJ ResortSilver LegacyAtlantisGrand Sierra ResortPeppermillNuggetRail CityWestern VillageOutlets at LegendsBally'sGolden NuggetHarrah'sHarveysBoomtownMontego Bay ResortRainbowRed GarterWendover NuggetDini's Lucky ClubTahoe BiltmoreComstock Hotel & CasinoFitzgeraldsGolden PhoenixHarold's ClubKings InnMapes HotelNevada ClubRiverside HotelSundownerRiver InnMesquite StarBourbon SquareBill'sLakeside Inn